Don’t you love reasons to get creative? What’s better is when your vision comes pretty close to what you envisioned!

One of my daughters teachers has brownies listed as her favorite dessert. She also listed sunflowers as her favorite flower.

There is a brownie recipe that I discovered (and loved) several years ago. I loved the idea of “scratch” brownies and there was a great recipe on the back of Swans Down Cake Flour Box. I cut it off and use it all of the time. I omit the Mint extract and add extra vanilla. Holla!

So of course this time, I poured it in a round cake pan to make the center of the flower.

Then I researched a lemon cookie recipe that “seemed” good… and it is/was once I remembered to add the sugar. (oh dear…)

I haphazardly shaped the cookies into petal shapes and instead of crystal sugar I made a lemon cream glaze to make it more vibrant for the petals. For the lemon glaze I used powdered sugar and half and half. I mixed it well and then added lemon juice and yellow food coloring gel.

It was so fun and I think it looks adorable. After a careful quality assurance (lol) of the cookie taste and texture, I wanted to post this so I could recreate and find it later.

Saute 1 cup chopped celery and 1 large onion in 2 TBS of butter until soft.

Add a whole Chicken and fill with water to cover chicken. Boil 1 hour.

Remove chicken and let cool before removing meat from bones. Strain broth and return broth to pot. Add all 3 cans of tomatoes and the can of black beans. Add chili powder, cumin and Mexican oregano. Add chicken back to soup and boil 45 min.

My mother-in-law and Texas native replaces parsley in many recipes with cilantro. This to me seems very Texas like so, with inspiration from her I made a Texas version of tabbouleh — with quinoa ❤️
Cook 1 cup of quinoa. Once it cools mix in:

A cup of cherry tomatoes sliced (or more)

1 whole cucumber diced

A bunch of cilantro chopped

1 mashed and minced garlic bulb

Juice of a half lime

1/4 cup olive oil mixed in

Salt to taste.

Mix and eat with or without sliced avocado. Drizzle more olive oil on top and more lime juice if needed. (for intensity and moisture)

This year, at our annual Give Party with The Gypsy Wagon, that benefits The Rise School of Dallas, we decided to serve up some Pomegranate Margaritas as our specialty cocktail for the event. One of the shoppers asked me what my secret was, and I told her that even though it should remain a secret that I would share. ha!

So here are the secrets to make these delicious, now coined by Carley of The Gypsy Wagon, Pomaritas.

Note: Don’t skimp on the pomegranate liquor. I already tried the cheap stuff for you and you will want to pass on it… unless you think cough syrup is delicious. If you are going to skimp, you can on the tequila. A good, inexpensive, one is Sauza.